Putin's fourth term in office

These are the headlines we are tracking for you in this episode of On the News Line:

Putin's fourth term in office

Vladimir Putin begins his fourth term in office as Russian president with economic and foreign policy challenges ahead. In his inaugural address, Putin implied his focus had now shifted to domestic matters and improving the country's economy. Key among Putin's challenges is combating Russia's economic stagnation. Putin wants to catapult Russia into the top five of the world’s largest economies, cutting poverty levels in half and ensuring drastic increases in productivity and technological innovation.

Trump out of JCPOA

President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of a nuclear agreement that the previous administration had sealed with Iran in 2015. Trump’s announcement drew immediate reactions from America’s allies which had jointed Washington in signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. France, Germany and Britain said they regretted the move while Russia and China – two other signatories – said they were disappointed. The only party that is happy is Israel.